It was a long weekend of driving. The truck shuddered as a north wind blew snow across the flat, empty fields. I survived on Diet Coke and Advil – I ached in muscles I’d never used before. I was tired, and happier than I ever could have imagined.
Dad bought a blanket and a pillow from the motel, and spent a lot of time sleeping in the back seat. Rolling through the endless plains of Nebraska, Jessie laid her head on my lap as I drove. At one point Dad woke and told her to sit up and wear her seatbelt right.
“My gosh, have you two already started to forget everything I’ve taught you?”
“Sorry, Dad.”
“What time is it?”
“Almost five,” I told him.
“Let’s get dinner in the next town. I need more pills, and I don’t want to take them on an empty stomach.”
“Okay. I’m getting bleary. Maybe you can take over after dinner, okay, Jess?”
“Yeah, that’s fine. You have to stay awake and navigate once we get to Colorado, though.”
“Yeah, no problem. Hey, Dave, are you listening?”
“What’s up? Over.”
“Dinner stop coming soon.”
“Sounds real good. Out.”
We stopped at Julesburg for quick dinner, and then were right back on the road.
It was dark when we pulled up the familiar drive at the ranch. The girls got the guest room and the three of us guys made do with the bunkhouse. It was already weird to be in bed without Jessie, but I was so tired it barely mattered.